MCP accuses Malawi Electoral Commission of ‘crime against democracy’: Ansah must resign for credible vote

The main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP)  has called for the immediate resignation of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Justice Jane Ansah, sayig the missing of voter registration kit was a “crime against our democracy” as it has raised fears of possible rigging in the 2019 Tripartite Elections.

Addressing a news conference in Mzuzu: MCP has questioned MEC’s capacity to secure assets of public trust against theft and fraud, let alone an entire election
Ansah:Under fire from electoral stakeholders demanding her resignation
Mathanga: MEC feared that other stakeholders could exaggerate the matter by making wild allegations of rigging

MCP second deputy president Harry Mkandawire and publicity secretary the Reverend Maurice Munthali speaking  during a news conference  in Mzuzu, said  they also demand the immediate identification and dismissal of all MEC personnel that have had a hand in the missing of the biometric voter registration kit used in the ongoing voter registration exercise which  was found on a train in Mozambique this week.

“We demand the immediate resignation of the chair of the commission in recognition of her failure to prevent this breach from happening in the first place,” said Mkandawire.

MCP warned that if Ansah does not resign within seven days, the party  will mobilise the masses to demonstrate until she leaves her position.

“We will be expressing our displeasure further by exercising our right to protest as citizens in whose name and on whose trust MEC owes its entire existence,” Munthali added.

Munthali questioned MEC’s capacity to secure assets of public trust against theft and fraud, let alone an entire election.

“MEC’s silence was either due to their ignorance of the incident, which smack of incompetence, or due to a culture of secrecy in its operations, which smacks of conspiracy.

“Either way, the silence of the Commission calls into question its commitment to transparency in the facilitation of these historic elections,” said Munthali.

But MEC chairperson for elections services committee Jean Mathanga explained that all the data in the recovered kit is intact as it was encrypted.

The recovered kit contained data for those who registered for citizenship at Ndonda in Kasungu, Nthuwila School in Ntchisi, and Chauwa School in Lilongwe and got lost as it was being transported in an open Tata truck from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) en route to Mwanza, according to Mathanga.

“The Commission is assuring all people that the data that was registered in the centres mentioned above is safe. The procedure is that at the end of each phase, the kits are taken to the nerve centre where all the registration data is uploaded into our mobile district servers,” said Mathanga.

She said MEC was informed of the recovery of the kit on September 29 2018 and when she was quizzed on the decision by the commission to keep silent, Mathanga said the electoral body did not want to give the public half-baked information.

“We reported the matter to police and we are still waiting for them to give us the facts of the case. In the meantime, we are treating the matter as an issue of theft.”

Mathanga  said the commission is ecnoyraging electoral stakeholders “not to raise fear and anxiety with unsubstantiated allegations” of rigging.

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gwenenthe mwale
gwenenthe mwale
5 years ago

vuto la munthu wa kuda. ANSA ntchito yakukanikani apa. mzungu akadapanga resign. koma black people kakaka chonsecho akulephera. africa my foot

bae
bae
5 years ago

Everybody knows that the election process has been compromised with this. Why is she hanging on?

mark
mark
5 years ago

YES, SHE MUST RESIGN……

matchona
matchona
5 years ago

Woyimbira mpira, sakhala suppor.ter Wa team imodzi mwa mateam omenya mpiraeo. what would you expect. Full of hand claspers. Tiyeni nawoni til I nga nga nga pambuyo panu. Until God deliver us from these beasts.

Njonanje
Njonanje
5 years ago

Hahahahah akanakhala Hon. Kamulepo Kalua ndikanati tiziona mathero ake koma baba Ochakwera mmmm ndakaika. Kupola too umch

pathfinder
pathfinder
5 years ago

Hahahhhaha why am i not surprised! So first Mtambo and Now MCP demanding the resignation of Ansah? Would you disagree me now when i say CSO’s and MCP are one, they dance to the same tune. This is all out of bitterness after 2014 election.

Central
Central
5 years ago
Reply to  pathfinder

@pathfinder, stop the careless comments becoz the case under discussion can lead our stable country into civil strife……………………………………………………………………………..!! Smart brains don’t need scientific evidence kuti chinyengo chachitika apa basi………………………………… why did MEC chose to remain mute on informing Malawians about the machine that went missing? And why is DPP mute now as regard their stand on the same? Ngakhale wina atakhala kape or ozizila apa zaonjezaaaaaaaaaaa!! To me those who are complaining are those with foresight i.e. those who are able to see the immediate consequences of what is happening…………………………….!! Mukuyambitsayitu zoona zake ndi nkhondo ndithudiiiiiiiiiii Genuine leaders have foresight!!… Read more »

Kaitano
Kaitano
5 years ago
Reply to  pathfinder

Chimbuli cha chabechabe ichi.

black jack
black jack
5 years ago
Reply to  pathfinder

Pathfinder lets start civil war in Malawi. You and your tribe mwatibera kwambiri. Mpakena machine a vote!

CitizenX
CitizenX
5 years ago
Reply to  pathfinder

smart ass pathfinger since u r the smartest malawian here, pliz tell us what should be done in this case

#DzukaniAmalawi
#DzukaniAmalawi
5 years ago

This is the first time I would agree with MCP. The Commissioner should step aside otherwise the elections are already declared null and void. In fact for the sake of the country, she should just ask to be relieved of her duties for failing the nation.

diso
diso
5 years ago

mau mau mau

Kanyimbi
Kanyimbi
5 years ago

Not fear of possible rigging Mathanga mkazi wa Mulomwe & mwinanso nawe ndi Mulomwenso u mean mwaberedwa ndiye osalengeza or titi kukuwa kuti mwabeledwa ndiye tingamati inu simukudziwapo kanthu? MEC yadzadza ndi abakhanso bwanji amangidwe apumbwa amenewa a Malawi.

Americano Hiwa
Americano Hiwa
5 years ago

Going through the statements by MEC, one is likely to believe that the electoral body is not serious. This has the potential to make Next years elections a recipe for civil unrest due to failure to concede defeat by would be losers. Elections at any time have to be treated with utmost care to Avoid bringing instability and trouble to innocent people. MEC MUST FALL!

Master
Master
5 years ago

Does this lady understand the word encryption? and does she also understand the word decryption when it comes to ICT? well the MEC is in the hands of semi -iliterate therefore next yr elections will not be credible as i can see it here, does she know the MD5 hash algolithms? does she know AES and hw it can be used? does she know DES? does she know SHA algorithms and how such mechanisms can be hacked by competent hackers? all hackers around the world hack encrypted data for your information because thats what makes them skilled kaya!!! Mayi Namathanga,… Read more »

diso
diso
5 years ago
Reply to  Master

abale tiuzeni zoona ife xchool tinathawira pa window !!!!!! Koma izi zitisunga????????????????????

DR MANGA
5 years ago

FOR THE SAKE OF CREDIBILITY OF ELECTIONS THE WHOLE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE DONE ALL OVER AGAIN OTHERWISE THE CONFIDENCE AND TRUST PEOPLE HAD IN MEC IS AT ALMOST 2.5 %.

diso
diso
5 years ago
Reply to  DR MANGA

DR Manga percentageyo nmwachulutsa it should lwoer than that 0.5%

bae
bae
5 years ago
Reply to  DR MANGA

agree

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